Page 91 of Rafi

I stare at him, unable to form words. Where is this going? What does he want me to say?

Igor doesn’t wait for an answer. He exhales deeply, his shoulders sagging under the weight of something I can’t quite name. “What you said to me,” he continues, “made meunderstand that I did the right thing letting your mother go all those years ago.”

The rawness in his voice surprises me. I turn my gaze to the window, staring out at the endless stretch of land, unable to look at him as he speaks.

“Although her years were limited, she spent them happy,” he says, his voice softening. “That’s what allows me to sleep better at night, knowing that she was happy. And I finally understand that I can’t rewrite history and keep you here by my side, Tayana. You need to be with him.”

I shake my head, the thought too much to bear. “Why did you let me hate you all those years?” I whisper, the sudden rush of tears coating my eyelashes.

“I guess…it was easier to live with you hating me than to live with the guilt of not being able to save her.”

“I was wrong, Igor. It wasn’t your fault.” I give him his absolution, even though I know it probably changes nothing. His guilt is raw and all consuming; if he hasn’t been able to shed it all these years, he probably never will.

“If I had to do it over…”

“Don’t.” I shake my head. I don’t want to deal with what ifs. We can’t change the past, but we can control the present. And we may be able to guide the future.

“I won’t leave you,” I tell him. “I won’t leave Anton.”

“You won’t,” he agrees. “Not entirely. But he’s your happiness. You can make this work somehow. Go back and forth until Anton is better. Find a middle ground. But don’t give up on your happiness, Tayana.”

His words cut deep, scraping against the raw edges of my broken heart. My throat burns, and I blink hard against the sting of tears. He’s giving me his blessing. Not just his blessing—he’s pushing me toward Rafi. Toward the one thing I’ve convinced myself I can’t have.

The car slows, the engine humming down as we approach the airport. I hadn’t even realized we were so close. My eyes lift to the runway, and there it is—a plane, sleek and purposeful, circling the tarmac before coming to a stop. The stairs unfold, and a figure steps into the doorway.

Kanyan.

And if Kanyan is here, that can only mean one thing.

My heart pounds so hard it feels like it might crack my ribs. Igor’s voice pulls me back to the moment.

“Go get your prince,kotyonok.”

His words hang in the air, heavy with meaning. I can’t move, my body frozen between fear and hope.

Igor nudges me gently. “Go,” he says, more firmly this time, swallowing past the lump in his throat.

The door clicks open, and I step out into the cool evening air. My legs carry me forward, faster than I realize, until I’m running. My breath comes in sharp bursts, the world narrowing to the plane, the stairs, and the silhouette waiting at the top.

It’s Rafi.

He’s standing there, staring down at me, his face a mix of disbelief and something else—something softer, something like hope.

“Rafi!” I yell, my voice breaking with emotion.

His name pulls him into motion, and he’s running down the stairs before I even reach them.

When we meet on the tarmac, everything else fades away. His arms wrap around me, lifting me off the ground as I cling to him like I’ll never let go. His scent, his warmth—it’s all so achingly familiar, so undeniablyhim.

“I’m here,” I whisper against his neck, my tears soaking into his skin. “I’mhome.”

52

KANYAN

I’m no cupid. Never have been, never will be. But watching Rafi spiral out of control since our return from Russia makes my gut churn in ways I’m not used to. The kid’s been a shadow of himself, staring out windows, his silence heavier than a loaded gun. He’s not built for this kind of heartbreak, and honestly, I’m not built to watch him wallow in it.

Rafi shifts slightly in his seat, a faint flicker of movement that catches my eye. For a moment, I think he might say something, but he doesn’t. His silence wraps around him like armor, impenetrable and suffocating all at once.

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